The IRS warns of a new IRS-impersonation phone scam. Criminals make unsolicited phone calls fraudulently claiming to be from the IRS by “spoofing” the telephone number of the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service office in Houston or Brooklyn. Calls may be “robo-calls” that request a return call, and then when the taxpayer calls back, the imposter demands personal information, including a Social Security number or an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN).
In other variations of the scam, fraudsters demand immediate payment of taxes by a prepaid debit card or wire transfer.
Help clients stay alert to scams that use the IRS or other legitimate companies and agencies as a lure. Report IRS or Treasury-related fraudulent calls to phishing@irs.gov using the subject line “IRS Phone Scam."